Fifth wheel brake



Sept. 13, 1938. v J.,.F USI EITTI ET AL 2,130,004

FIFTH WHEEL BRAKE Fi led Aug. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jhch Fu SQ/ii T Joseph Tamea/ INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1938.

J. FUSETTI ET AL FIFTH WHEEL BRAKE Filed Aug. 50, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jbseph Tamea,

awomqzvs Patented Sept. 13, 1938 FIFTH WHEEL BRAKE lack etti and Joseplli Tamea, West Hazleton,

Application August 30, 1937, Serial No. 161,696

2 Claims.

This inveotlon relates to a brake for fifth wheels employed for coupling trailers and tractors together, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which normally permits free pivotal movement between the trailer and the tractor, however, during high speeds of the trailer and tractor the pivotal movement therebctween permits excessive side swing or sway of the trailer relative to the tractor, irequently causing accidents by sideswipiug passing vehicles and with the present invention the operetor oi the tractor may at any time check or stop the side swinging of the trailer by locking the fifth wheel construction and thereby eliminote the possibility oi accidents item the above stated cause. 7

With these and other objects in view, this in= section consists in certain novel features of constxuction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Fee a complete understanding of our lnven= tioo, reference is to he had to the iollowing tiescsiption and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view illustrating a fifth wheel constructed in accordance with our inventiou.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2? of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectioeei view taken on the line i i-l of Figure l.

Figure c is as sectional view taken on the line mi'esrihg in detail to the drawings, the nuu'lci'al 5 indicates a fragmentary portion of a treiles i... and s a fragmentary portion of a tractor frame. Hinged on the tractor frame is a filth wheel table or plate 3 and h nged on the trailer frame is a drum ii adapted to ride upon the table or plate 3, the latter having a slot e opening outwardly through one edge thereof to permit a king pin e to enter. said slot and which is carried by the drum ii. A suitable locking means i is employed for releasabiy securing the king pin in the slot whereby a pivotal connection is established between the trailer and the tractor.

e locking means consists of a pivotally mounted lever e having a forked end a to receive a king pie. A spring lb acts on the lever 8 to position the latter so that the forked end aligns with the slot s permitting the king pin to readily enter the forked end. A projection ii is formed on the lover s to engage with a manually actuated latch member 52 and when in engagement there= with retains the lover s in a position to uoaligu the forked end thereof with the slot and consequently prevent the king pin from moving out of the slot. The latch member when actuated permits the spring ill to swing the lever 8 for freeing the king pin and thereby permit uncoupling of the tractor and trailer.

The drum 4 consists of superimposed plates l3 and ii suitably connected by bolts I4. I A brake drum i5 is secured on the tableor plate 3 to receive the drum 4 and includes sections A, B and C, the sections B and C being hinged to the section A, the latter being secured on the plate or table 3. ihe sections B and C are detaohably connected by a fastener is located over the slot in the table or plate 3 so that when it is desired to couple and uncouple the tractor or trailer the sections B and C are detached and swung to assume the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. Brake shoes ii are pivoted in the drum 4 to encage with the brake band l5 and are normally disengaged from the latter by springs l'l. Operating members is are slldably supported in the drum to engage with the brake shoes and have pivotaliy connected thereto a T-shaped member is slidably supported by brackets 20. An operating mechanism M is connected to the member is for imparting endwise movement thereto to force the brake shoes against the brake band and thereby prevent rotation of the drum l with respect to the table or plate 3, de- 3 stroying the fiith wheel action between the trailer and tractor and thereby eliminate side swinging oi the trailer and accidents caused by the movement of the trailer. The operating mechanism may be of any well known construction and forms no part of the present invention and is ope-rotted from the driver's cab of the tractor.

What is claimed is:

l'. A device of the character set forth comprlsing a fifth wheel construction including a drum and a table having a slot to receive a king pin on the drum and a latch means for releasably securing the king pin in the slot, a brake band carried by the table, brake shoes carried by the drum, springs normally acting on the brake shoes X to disengage them from the brake band, operating members slidably supported on the drum and engaging the brake shoes and connected to an operating means, said brake band including a fixed section and movable sections hinged thereto, and a iastener for detachably connecting the movable sections and located in alignment with the slot oi the table.

2. A fifth'wheel construction for coupling a treiler and a tractor comprising a drum secured on a. trailer, a king pin said drum and depending therefromtable secured on the tractor to support the and having a not opening outwerdly throuxii an edge thereof to permit the king pin to enter laid slot. I hid; means carried by acid table to reieosobly end ro-' tatably secure said king pin in the slot. o lectional brake band secured on aid table to receive the drum and including inteninl mean: to per- 

